A Visit to Egypt
by EnigmaticAssassin
Summary: Three months after the events of Prelude to Liberation, Master Assassin Juliette Marie Dorian visits the mystical land of Egypt to give her daughter Alana a little tour of the lands of Northern Egypt. Please Read and Review!


Sailing into the port of Cairo, Egypt, was a small British vessel with a single mast. At its top was the Union Jack, symbolic of the British Empire. At the helm of the ship beside the captain stood two figures, a woman and a young girl. The woman stood about five feet eight inches, dressed in black from head to toe. Her brown hair flowed down to the cloak just below her shoulders. Covering her right wrist was an Assassin Gauntlet, which contained a rope launcher and the iconic weapon of the Assassins, the Hidden Blade. The woman was British Master Assassin Juliette Marie Dorian, who was well known among the British Brotherhood for her assassination of British Templar Grand Master Robert Starrick three months prior. At her left side was a young girl with her long brown hair,done up in a braid, dressed in all black just like her mother, but with a grey hood. The young girl's name was Alana Rose, Juliette's daughter. She was holding her mother's hand. Juliette looked down at her daughter.

"Are we there yet, Mother?"

Juliette smiled, and looked around. Beige sands surrounded the distant plains until several stems of papyrus lined the shorelines of The Nile, the river that brought Egypt to life back in ancient times.

"Almost there, sweetheart." Juliette replied, pointing at the buildings of Cairo in the distance. "See those buildings over there? That's Cairo, and that's where we are going."

Alana hoisted herself up onto the railing to get a better view. Alana took in the view before her. Instead of focusing on the distance, Juliette noticed Alana's gaze shift over to the right, towards the Great Pyramids of Giza. Juliette looked over as well, crossing her arms, and took in the sight of the pyramids, as this was her first time seeing them as well. She heard stories growing up from her mother about how majestic and awe inspiring they were. Juliette's goal was to show Alana all the things her mother did back in the year 1800, and tour Egypt with her, to take in the sights of the history rich nation. Juliette eased Alana back down to the deck of the ship as it entered the docks of Cairo. Alana, ever so eager, wanted to rush off the deck of the ship and explore Cairo. Juliette held her back from running off the ship and landing into the Nile. Juliette pointed out the crew who was slowly putting the ramp down towards the deck. Juliette extended her arm out to Alana, who grabbed it, and walked off the deck of the ship with her suitcase in hand. Once Juliette and Alana set foot onto the docks, Juliette turned around and saluted the Captain, who returned a salute of his own to the mother and her daughter. Juliette looked around the bustling city of Cairo. Her mother was right. It was a very large city, with shops lining the main road outside of the docks, and housing behind them. Ahead of the shops, Juliette could see some Egyptian citizens entering mosques for their daily prayers. After looking around and taking in the sights of Cairo, Juliette could feel a tug on her pant leg. Juliette looked down towards Alana.

"Mother, where to now?"

Juliette looked around for the hotel and Cafe her mother stayed at forty-seven years ago. She pulled out a piece of parchment, and looked at the sketch of the facade of the building. Juliette remembered the photo in her mind.

"Let's go get settled at the hotel and Cafe near the outskirts of town." Juliette replied, crouching so Alana could climb up onto her shoulders. Juliette let out a deep breath, and rose to her feet, with Alana giggling with joy. Sitting on her mother's shoulders, Alana got a really good view of Cairo. She looked to her left and pointed out the Cairo Citadel, an old landmark from when the city started to go. Her jaw dropped with excitement.

"See the citadel, sweetheart?" Juliette asked curiously, turning around to see the landmark, which was undergoing a renovation.

"It was built by Sultan Saladin in the year 1176 and completed in the year 1183."

"Wow mother!" Alana exclaimed, still looking over the citadel. "Did Crusaders fight here?"

Juliette paused to think for a few seconds.

"No Alana." Juliette stated. "This was the home of Saladin and his people, the Saracens. The Cafe isn't too far away. Let's settle down for a bit there before we carry on, mother is getting a little hot."

Alana nodded her head as Juliette set off for the Cafe. As she continued walking, Juliette pulled out the small piece of parchment. After examining the facade of the Cafe, she put the piece of parchment away in her pocket. Looking up, Juliette spied a familiar building.

_There it is, _Juliette thought, as she wiped away sweat from her forehead. She looked up to see Alana had put up her grey hood.

"Look, Alana. There's our Cafe!" Juliette exclaimed, pointing towards the building, causing Alana to look up. "Let's go inside."

Juliette crouched down as they arrived at the entrance. Alana grabbed her mother's hand as her feet landed on the ground. With her daughter's hand in her's, the pair entered the Cafe. The Cafe was much cooler inside than it was outside, and was decorated with red ribbons, standing it vibrantly against the brown paint on the walls. Juliette and Alana approached the main desk, where they were greeted by an unusual sight: A British man living in Egypt.

"Hello there, miladies." The man greeted them happily. He had graying brown hair to go with his white beard. He was dressed in a brown shirt and matching dress pants. "Welcome to the Eagle Talon Hotel and Cafe. My name is Bernie Willows, and I run the place. What can I do for you lovely ladies?"

"Just a place to sit would be nice, please." Juliette replied with a nice tone in her voice. Bernie pointed to a table near the back by a window. Juliette nodded her head as a sign of thanks.

"What flavours of tea do you have?" Juliette asked out of curiosity. Bernie smiled and looked down at a menu.

"Let's see here..." he replied, as he pulled out a couple of tea cups and saucers. "We have green tea, chamomile, Earl Grey, and sage teas."

"A cup of Sage tea would be nice." Juliette replied, looking down at her daughter. "What would you like, Alana?"

Alana looked up at Bernie, and thought for a few moments before coming up with her decision.

"Green tea, please." Alana stated, pointing at the green tea on the menu. Bernie nodded his head and smiled.

"Coming right up, ladies." He replied, as he went to go get their tea. In the meantime, Juliette and Alana took a seat at the table, with Alana sitting near the window. She leaned down to tie her left boot. Juliette wiped the sweat from her forehead, and took in the sights of the Cafe. The Eagle Talon Hotel and Cafe was the place her mother Elise stayed at during her first mission to Egypt forty-seven years ago. Portraits of the owners hung up on the wall above the windows. It looks as if nothing had changed in the past years.

"Mother look! Mother look!"

Juliette looked down to see that Alana had successfully tied her left boot. Juliette smiled approvingly at her daughter as Bernie came with their cups of tea. Alana smiled happily as he placed her tea before her.

"Enjoy ladies!" Bernie said, smiling and bowing his head. Juliette returned a smile and a curt nod of her head as a sign of thanks. Juliette gently blew on her tea to cool it down. Alana did the opposite, and took a small sip, wincing as it went down her throat.

"You all right there, Alana?" Juliette asked. "Blow on your tea next time, to cool it down."

Alana nodded her head, and blew on her tea before taking another sip. Juliette took a large sip, tasting the warm sage tea go down her throat. Juliette saw Alana take a smaller sip, this time smiling instead of wincing.

"That's better Mother!" Alana exclaimed, licking her lips. "How's your tea, mother?"

Juliette smiled approvingly.

"Good." Juliette replied calmly. "Would you like a sip?"

Alana nodded her head up and down, and the pair swapped teas, taking a sip of each. Juliette left a little bit of tea for Alana to finish. Handing the cup over to Alana, Alana returned Juliette's tea, with a little left inside as well.

Juliette finished off her cup of tea, and placed the cup on the saucer.

"Want to know where we are going next, Alana?" Juliette asked, crossing her hands.

"Where Mother?" Alana asked curiously, as she finished her tea.

"The Great Pyramids." Juliette replied happily. Alana's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"Really mother? I can't wait!" Alana shouted, quickly leaping out of her seat. Juliette calmed Alana down and grabbed her tea cup. Juliette and Alana approached Bernie at his desk.

"Thank you for the tea, Bernie." Juliette told him, as she placed their glasses on the desk. "We will be back later to rent out a room."

Bernie nodded his head.

"For sure, Madame." He replied reassuringly. "I will still be here."

Juliette nodded her head. "Thank you Bernie. Now Alana, let's go see the Pyramids up close!"

A large smile came across Alana's face as she watched her mother crouch down before her. Alana climbed up her mother's back, and sat on top of Juliette's shoulders. Juliette rose up to her feet, and began the long walk over towards the Great Pyramids, the final resting places for three of the most prominent pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

* * *

Juliette and Alana made it to the Giza Necropolis, and stood in front of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Alana's eyes grew wide as she looked up with amazement at the giant limestone structure, which had much of its casing stones removed, where it rested at the base of the pyramid. Alana pointed at Khufu's pyramid with excitement.

"Mother, look! It's the Great Pyramid!" Alana shouted, continuing to point at the pyramid. Juliette looked up and smiled at her daughter. "Who is buried in there?"

"It was the final resting place of Khufu, Pharaoh of Egypt." Juliette replied, looking up at the pyramid's size with her. "The other two pyramids belong to two other Pharaohs, named Khafre and Menkaure, who built their own pyramids in the image of Khufu's. Let's go Alana, I'll let you sit on a block. How does that sound?"

"Yay!" Alana yelped, as Alana began to run towards the base of the pyramid. Juliette gave chase after her daughter, and caught up to her at the base of the pyramid. Juliette watched as Alana tried to reach for the top of a block that was quite taller than Alana. Juliette chuckled, and grabbed Alana by the waist, hoisting her up to the top of block. Juliette let out a deep breath, and hoisted herself up onto the block, sitting beside her daughter.

"Mother, how big are these stones?" Alana asked, patting on the limestone. Juliette looked down at the limestone.

"Height wise, up to Uncle François' belly. Weight wise, possibly one or two thousand pounds." Juliette replied, looking up towards the top of the pyramid, then back down to Alana.

"Can we go to the very top of the pyramid?"

Juliette laughed and pat Alana on the back.

"No, Alana. We won't be able to climb up to the top." Juliette replied, continuing to pat Alana on the back. "I actually have a story for you."

"A story? What story, mother?" Alana asked, eager for answer.

"A story about your grandmother, Elise." Juliette replied. "She told me back when I was your age about how she went into this very pyramid to retrieve a rare artifact that opened a Tomb nearby, and spent the night in the pyramid to avoid a sandstorm."

"Can we go see this tomb Mother? Please please please?" Alana begged Juliette. Juliette hesitated before replying.

"For sure, Alana. I will show you this tomb. But first, let's get down from this rock."

Juliette was the first to leap off, feeling a tingle in her feet as she landed. She positioned herself close to Alana, where she leaped into her mother's outstretched arms. Alana grabbed Juliette's hand, and the pair made their way over to the tomb. The walk wasn't very long, but it was rather tedious because of the deep sand. After about a twenty minute walk, Juliette and Alana made it to the tomb, which was nestled in a small cliff, and entrance smashed and caved in. After emptying Alana's boots of sand, Juliette caught wind of a forearm bone and hand sticking out of the sand, holding a pocket watch. Juliette approached the skeleton and examined the name on the pocketwatch.

_Dario Ribaldi. That name sounds familiar._ Juliette thought, picking up the pocket watch. _That's the man Mother and Haran Alona cornered here for a key back in 1813. This is the right place._

"Who's tomb is this?" Alana asked, sounding confused as she scoured the site for a way in.

"This tomb belonged to a man named Bayek." Juliette informed her daughter.

"Who was he?" Alana asked curiously, turning around to face her mother. Juliette looked back at the sun, which was setting behind the pyramids.

"I will tell you more about him at another time, that much I promise." Juliette reassured her daughter, looking up at the setting sun. "But now, we must return to the Cafe, and settle down. I promise we will do a lot more exploring tomorrow."

Alana frowned, and walked over to her mother's side. Juliette rustled Alana's hair before gently grabbing her right hand, beginning the long walk back to the Eagle Talon Hotel and Cafe in Cairo.

* * *

Juliette and Alana arrived at the Eagle Talon Hotel and Cafe just after sunset. After quietly closing the door behind them, Juliette walked up to Bernie's desk. Upon seeing Juliette and Alana, he put down his cup of coffee and smiled.

"Welcome back ladies!" He greeted politely. "Back to check into your room?"

"Indeed we are." Juliette replied, as Bernie handed Juliette the key to the room.

"There is your key." Bernie stated. "Who is this room out to?"

"Juliette Dorian." Juliette informed him, as he wrote down her name on a piece of paper. Bernie nodded his head approvingly.

"All right. You will be in room number two, second door in your left. Thank you for staying with us today."

Juliette nodded her head curtly, and began her walk towards the room. Juliette beckoned for Alana to come to her side, and in a flash, Alana bolted for her mother, showing up at her side just as she was about to head upstairs. Once the pair got to the top of the small staircase, Juliette spied the door with the number two on it. She pulled out the key, and after a few moments of fidgeting with the lock, Juliette opened the door successfully. Alana bolted by Juliette and into the room, almost knocking her mother off her feet, leaping onto the bed belly first. Juliette smiled and shut the door behind her. She sat on the bed beside Alana.

"What will we do tomorrow, mother?" Alana asked, perching herself beside Juliette. Juliette placed her elbows on her thighs and turned towards Alana.

"You asked me about Bayek earlier." Juliette replied, sensing the eagerness in Alana's eyes. "Tomorrow, we are going to take a carriage out to the Hotep Cavern, and I will show you his final resting place."

Alana's jaw dropped.

"I can't wait until tomorrow!" Alana replied happily, as she took off her hood, folding it at the side of her bed. She followed that up by crawling into bed, where Juliette pulled the covers up on her.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Juliette said, planting a kiss on Alana's forehead. "Have a good sleep."

"You too, Mother!"

Juliette let out a deep breath, walked over to the other side of the bed, and sat down. She slid her Hidden Blade off of her right wrist, and pulled off her left glove, showing her scar and tattoo below it. Juliette felt a pain in her shoulder, the one she hurt during the fight with Robert Starrick in London. During the fight, Juliette was aggressively shoved into a bookcase, which popped her shoulder out. She grasped and shrugged her left shoulder, until the pain subsided. Once the shoulder pain went away, Juliette laid on her right shoulder. As her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep instantly, preparing for the long journey to Bayek's tomb in the Qattara Depression.

* * *

Juliette awoke early the next morning, with Alana still asleep. She got out of bed, and stretched. Juliette grabbed her Assassin Gauntlet, and slid it onto her right wrist. A quiet knock came from her door. Juliette got up and answered the door. She was surprised to see Bernie standing at the door.

"What can I do for you Bernie?"

"I overheard you talking last night on my rounds about how you were going to find a carriage to take you to the Quattara Depression. I'll go back downstairs and reserve one for you if you'd like."

Juliette smiled approvingly.

"That would be fantastic, Bernie." Juliette whispered. "I'll get Alana up and going and we will be down in a few minutes."

Bernie smiled, and nodded his head, heading back downstairs. Juliette closed the door calmly, and walked over to Alana, who was stirring in her sleep. She gently patted Alana on her shoulder, waking the young girl up. Alana looked up, and smiled at her mother.

"Good morning, mother!" Alana exclaimed, quickly getting out of the bed. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept pretty good." Juliette said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Are you excited to see the the tomb of Bayek?"

Alana's eyes glowed with excitement.

"Am I ever, Mother!"

Juliette rustled her daughter's brown hair, before grabbing her cloak. She knelt down before her, and tied Alana's cloak around her neck, tying it in a small bow tie. Alana proceeded to flip her hood up, with Juliette only seeing her smiling mouth.

"Let's go, Alana. Bernie is going to get us a carriage, so we can go see the tomb!"

Alana jumped up and down happily, as Juliette approached the door. As soon as she opened the door, Alana bolted out of the room, nearly knocking a man over as she ran down towards the stairs. Juliette apologized to the man, and quickly made her way down the stairs to catch up to her daughter. Juliette saw Alana standing at the door, pointing at Bernie and the carriage.

"I was running like you in London, Mother!"

_Running like me in London, _Juliette thought, reflecting on her mission to London. The mission involving her assassinating two Templars, named James Parker and Alfred Thorne, just to get at Robert Starrick and recover vital Assassin documents in his possession. The missions did involve her running. A lot of running. The mission caused Juliette to be out of action for quite some time, due to an injury to her left knee while chasing the Templar James Parker through the rooftops of the British Parliament buildings. The knee still gave Juliette grief from time to time three months after the injury happened.

"Indeed you were, Alana." Juliette replied, smiling as she opened the door, only to be greeted harshly by the hot Egyptian sun. Holding her hand up to her forehead, she could see Bernie standing by a two horse carriage.

"Welcome back, Juliette! I found you a carriage!"

"Thank you, Bernie, but...where is the driver?"

"You're talking to him."

Juliette smiled, walked up to Bernie, and shook his hand.

"You surely know where Hotep Cavern is, right?" Juliette asked curiously.

"I've heard of its location before. Its in the Qattara Depression, not too far away from Siwa."

"How long of a ride will it be?" Alana asked eagerly.

"Roughly 7 hours." Bernie replied. "I can get you there by late evening, if the weather holds up."

"Oh boy!" Alana exclaimed, as Juliette opened the door of the carriage, allowing Alana to enter. Juliette walked back over to Bernie, patting him on the shoulder.

"Thank you again, Bernie."

Bernie nodded his head curtly, and hopped into the driver's seat.

"Who's going to be in charge of the Cafe when you will be away?"

"My son." Bernie replied, pointing at a brown haired man wearing a suit, standing at his desk. Juliette recognized him as the man who Alana nearly ran over. "He knows that we will be away for quite some time. The Cafe will be in good hands when we are gone."

Juliette nodded her head, and opened the carriage door, shutting the door behind her. She banged on the door to indicate that they were ready to leave. Before long, Bernie got the carriage moving at a moderate speed. Due to the roads not being busy, Bernie was able to get the carriage out of the city relatively quickly. The road to the depression passed by the the Great Sphinx, which was buried up to its neck in sand, and the mighty Great Pyramids of Giza, which towered over the small carriage passing by. Juliette looked over to her daughter, fascinated by what she was seeing outside the window.

"Incredible, isn't it?"

"It sure is, mother!" Alana replied happily. Juliette leaned over to the window to take in the sandy view of the Giza plateau. It wasn't long before the Great Pyramids were nothing but a small point behind them, and the journey towards Hotep Cavern carried them eastward into the enigmatic plain known as the Qatarra Depression.

* * *

The carriage carrying Master Assassin Juliette Marie Dorian and her daughter Alana Rose came to a stop outside of an open cave in the Qatarra Depression. The heat of the desert greeted Juliette and Alana relentlessly upon stepping out of the carriage. Juliette flipped her hood up, as well as Alana's, to protect themselves from the still-harsh Egyptian evening sun. Bernie got down from the driver's seat, wiping his forehead free of sweat as well. The surrounding area around the cavern was nothing special to look at. Sand was dominant around the roads, and rocky outcrops of either limestone or sandstone. Several caves dotted the landscape, but the cave before them served as the burial place of the founders of her Brotherhood. Juliette gently grabbed Alana's hand, and the duo began to walk into the cave.

"If you need me Juliette, I will be here smoking my pipe!"

Juliette held up her hand, turning around to acknowledge Bernie, who proceeded to light up his pipe. Juliette and Alana entered the cavern, and marveled at the rock formations inside. At the base of a rock formation sat a crossbow, half buried in the sand. Juliette crouched down and examined the crossbow.

_This has to be the crossbow that Mother used to scare off the people who wanted to grind up Bayek and Aya's mummies,_ Juliette thought, as she placed the crossbow back in the place she found it in. Juliette looked up to see Alana kicking sand as she walked towards the entrance of the tomb. Juliette followed suit behind her, making sure that Alana wouldn't get in any trouble. Alana stopped at the entrance of the tomb, trying to read a plaque. Juliette approached Alana.

"Mother, what does this say?"

Juliette focused in on the Greek script. It had been a while since she had read anything Greek. After reading the script over, Juliette remembered what it said.

"Arrows will rain down on those who desecrate her remains."

"Her? Isn't Bayek a boy?"

"Yes, he was. But his wife was buried here before he was." Juliette replied. "In 1813, your grandmother assisted Turkish Assassin Haran Alona in successfully reuniting Bayek and Aya in the afterlife by bringing his remains here, and properly laying him to rest. Come, let's go explore the tomb."

"Yay!" Alana exclaimed, as her and Juliette entered the tomb. On the walls, there were paintings of two people, presumably Bayek and Aya, which covered the walls. Sitting before them was a sarcophagus with no lid. Juliette lifted Alana up, and peered inside, where they saw an intricately painted portrait of Bayek resting atop its mummy.

"So this is Bayek?" Alana asked, examining the mask. "Are you gonna tell me more about who he was?"

Juliette pondered for a few moments before responding.

"Legend has it that when he was younger, him and Aya would always travel to this cave, until they ultimately found love." Juliette informed her daughter. "Speaking of Aya, let's see if her mummy is in the other room."

Alana grabbed her mother's hand, disgruntled that she still doesn't know who Bayek is. Juliette guided her daughter into the second part of the tomb, where Amunet's sarcophagus lay. Juliette lifted Alana up to see the burial mask of Amunet. Alana turned back to face her mother.

"So she is Bayek's lover?" Alana asked curiously.

"Yes she was Alana!" Juliette replied, lowering Alana to the ground. "After her and Bayek parted ways, she formed the Roman Branch of the Hidden Ones."

"Who were the Hidden Ones?"

"I will tell you all about them at a later date." Juliette crouched down to meet her daughter's eyes. "But, I can tell you where we are going to go next."

"Where are we going to go next, mother?" Alana asked curiously, as the pair began to walk out of the tomb.

"The Oasis of Siwa." Juliette replied, with a smile. "Bayek's home."

Alana looked up at her mother.

"Will you finally tell me who Bayek really was when we get there?"

"Absolutely." Juliette reassured her daughter, as they made their way out of the cavern, and back to the carriage. Upon seeing them, Bernie smiled.

"Welcome back, you two!" He greeted, with open arms. "How was your adventure inside the cavern?"

Alana looked up at Juliette, before replying to Bernie.

"Real good! Now I know where Bayek was buried!"

Bernie looked up at Juliette.

"Kid sounds excited. Where to now, Juliette?"

"Siwa Oasis. That's not too far away, isn't it?"

"It's west of here." Bernie replied, stroking his chin. "If the conditions are favourable, I could get you there in an hour."

Juliette nodded her head approvingly. "Perfect. Let's go Alana. Hop in!"

Juliette opened the door to the carriage, and patted Alana on the back as she got comfortable in the carriage. As Juliette entered, she gave Bernie a thumbs up, indicating that they were ready to go. Bernie acknowledged the thumbs up, and got himself comfortable in the driver's seat. Before long, Juliette heard a snap of the reins. The carriage started to move slowly. Alana's gaze was fixed out the back window, looking back at the cavern that housed the mummies of Bayek and Aya. Juliette looked out the front window to see the sun descending lower into the sky. She returned her focus to her daughter, who was napping, and hoped the trio would make it to Siwa before sunset.

* * *

Juliette felt the carriage come to a stop. She opened the door and looked to the side, to see Bernie rummaging through the trunk on the back of the carriage. Peeking around, she saw Bernie pull out a tent.

"What's the tent for, Bernie?"

Bernie looked up at Juliette.

"It's going to be where you will sleep tonight, Juliette." Bernie replied, handing her the tent. "You can set it up atop that hill over there."

Juliette nodded her head. "Thank you. Where will you sleep?"

Bernie pointed to the carriage cabin. "In the carriage."

After saying that, Alana darted out of the carriage.

"Are we in Siwa, mother?" Alana asked curiously.

Juliette smiled as Alana walked over towards her.

"We are indeed, Alana." Juliette replied, grabbing her hand softly. "Come, let's go set up this tent atop the hill here."

Alana smiled, and accompanied her mother up the hill. The sun was just setting behind the mountains to the west, and Juliette was noticing that it was getting a little cooler outside. She let out a deep breath, and set the tent down when they made it to the top. The hill was a mixture of sand and sandstone rock, with the sand feeling a little cool due to the air around them cooling down. Juliette sat down, and began to pitch the tent. After a few moments of fidgeting with the poles, Juliette managed to successfully pitch the tent, thanks to a trick she had learned from François. She sat down, and began to prop some firewood into a tipi shape. Along with the tent, it was the only other thing Juliette carried up the hill. Alana turned around to see that her mother had pitched the tent. Smiling gleefully, Alana darted past Juliette and into the tent.

"Kid's quite speedy, hey?"

Juliette turned around to see Bernie walking up the hill.

"She's so full of energy." Juliette smiled, as Bernie made it to the top of the hill. "Kind of like me when I was younger."

"That's adorable." Bernie replied happily.

"Would you be able to keep an eye on her, Bernie? I've got to get some kindling for the fire."

Bernie nodded his head. "For sure, Madame Dorian."

Juliette returned with a nod of her head, and made her way over to a nearby cluster of trees alongside a road at the base of the hill. She walked down the hill slowly, careful not to fall and tumble down. Juliette approached the cluster of trees, and spied a tree with bark peeling off of its trunk.

_Perfect, _Juliette thought, as she began to peel the bark off in rather large chunks. She kept peeling until she had six large chunks in her right hand. Juliette let out a deep breath, and began the long hike back up the hill.

* * *

Juliette sat down beside her daughter, returning with some kindling to fuel the fire that Bernie had lit while she was away. Alana was playing in the sand outside the tent, drawing two stick people. Juliette smiled, and set the kindling down. She knelt beside her daughter, and observed her drawings. Seeing her mother, Alana looked up.

"Mother, who was Bayek?" She asked curiously. "You told me you were going to tell me more about him."

Juliette tilted her head, and sat down beside Alana. The fire cackled as Juliette tossed a couple pieces of kindling into the fire.

"Alright. I'll tell you about Bayek." Juliette replied happily, as the pair faced Siwa, and sat down. "Bayek lived here in the years leading up to 49 BC, alongside his wife Aya and son named Khemu. Bayek was a Medjay, essentially he was a bobby of Ancient Egypt. In 49 BC, Bayek was captured by a mysterious Order, who held his son for ransom. He was forced to open a door he had no idea about, or his son would die. Khemu freed him, and the strange men returned. Bayek engages them in combat, only to fatally wound his son at their hands. This led Bayek on a journey to hunt down these strange men across Egypt, until they fell to his blade. That is the tale that Mother and Father told me growing up."

Alana looked up at her mother, her mouth open wide.

"That's sad, Mother." Alana replied, tears falling down her cheeks. "I can only imagine the pain both Bayek and Aya went through when their son was killed."

Juliette nodded her head in agreement. She looked up to the Temple of Amun, its ruins resting on the cliff above the small village.

"I'll tell you what, Alana." Juliette began, getting up from her crouched position. "Would you want to walk through the Temple of Amun with me tomorrow, so I can show you the place where everything unfolded?"

Juliette pointed at the Temple of Amun on the hill.

"Yay! I can't wait to see the Temple of Amun tomrrow!"

"Glad to hear, Alana! But first, we've got to go to bed, so we can be well rested for tomorrow!"

Alana sighed, and grabbed her mother's hand. "All right, mother."

Juliette nodded her head slightly, as her and Alana walked back to the tent. Alana broke free from Juliette's grip, and laid down on carpets that weren't there before. Juliette looked over towards Bernie, who was tending to the fire, poking it with a branch he had found.

"Did you put those carpets in our tent?

Bernie shrugged, and then smiled.

"I did indeed. I didn't want you sleeping directly on the rock."

"Thank you, Bernie." Juliette said, with a wink.

Bernie stretched, and got up to pour a small bucket of water over the fire.

"Time for me to hit the sack." Bernie said, with a yawn. "I'll be sleeping in the carriage if you need anything, Juliette."

"Thanks, Bernie."

Juliette watched as Bernie made his way down the hill, nearly stumbling about halfway down. She remained focused on him until he made it inside his carriage safely.

Once the door closed, Juliette returned to her tent to see that Alana had fallen asleep relatively quickly. Juliette closed the tent, yawned, and fell asleep beside her daughter.

* * *

"Are we going, Mother?"

Juliette awoke to see Alana standing over her, hands on her hips, eager to get going. Juliette let out a chuckle, rubbed her eyes, and knelt before Alana. Alana hopped on her mother's back, and wrapped her arms around her neck. Juliette grabbed onto Alana's legs, and stood up. Juliette quickly ran down the hill, letting her hair blow in the wind. She smiled as she heard Alana's excited laughter. Alana let out a gleeful cheer as Juliette started walking through the village, heading towards the Temple. The villagers of Siwa looked at the pair as meandered their way through the village. They had never seen two people from the British Empire before. Some people gave them looks of bewilderment, whereas others game them a look of disgust, and some just carried on with their day like Juliette and Alana were never there. Juliette returned all the looks they received with a polite and courteous smile. They ultimately reached the hill leading up to the Temple. Juliette took in the chance at seeing the ruins of the Temple up close.

_It's so hard to believe that there used to be large statues here, and the building itself used to be so beautifully painted, _Juliette thought, as they walked up the hill and entered the ruins. Alana's eyes were all over the place, taking in the ancient ruins of the Temple.

"A fun fact, Alana." Juliette said, lowering herself to let Alana step back onto the ground. "In this very Temple, Alexander the Great was pronounced the Son of Amun in this very building. Many people believed he was the true Son of Amun, but some people believed he was there for other purposes."

"What purposes, mother?" Alana asked curiously, as the duo made their way up the crumbling stairs leading up to the main Temple buildings. The reliefs remain, with some being more faint than others. Juliette noticed that some of the reliefs depicted Ancient Egyptian daily life, along with more dedicated to Amun, King of the Gods.

"Some people say that Alexander the Great possessed a Staff of great power, and used it to open a mysterious vault beneath the Temple." Juliette replied, as she navigated the inner Temple buildings, until she happened upon a pile of rubble and debris.

"Was the vault here, Mother?" Alana asked curiously. Juliette scratched her head.

"This was where Mother said the entrance was." Juliette replied, looking around for another way through. "It seems it must've caved in with time."

Juliette noticed that Alana was trying to look for ways to move away the limestone debris, every try ending in vain. Alana turned around to face Juliette.

"I can't get the rocks to move, mother!"

Juliette smiled, and knelt down beside Alana.

"Perhaps what is down there isn't meant for our eyes, Alana." Juliette informed her daughter. "Now come, let's get back to Bernie. He's got to get us back to Cairo."

Alana let out a disappointed sigh, and grabbed her mother's hand. Juliette and Alana started to walk out of the temple, before a grey piece of glowing debris caught Juliette's attention.

"What is it, mother?" Alana asked, as she followed her mother to the piece of debris. Juliette gently pushed aside some of the limestone, and pulled out the mysterious piece. Running through it was an unusual green metal, meeting in a ball near the top left corner. A strap was also present on it, which seemed strange to Juliette. It reminded her of a dinosaur skull.

"I'm not sure, Alana." Juliette replied, continuing to examine it. "It is very old, from the time of the ancients. Perhaps your father may know something about it."

Juliette picked up the object, and slung it on her left shoulder. Alana darted over to Juliette's side, after putting back the rocks that Juliette had pushed aside. Alana grasped her mother's hand firmly, and began to make their way back to Bernie's carriage.

* * *

The afternoon sun shined over the Oasis of Siwa, as Juliette and Alana returned to the carriage of Bernie Willows. When they arrived, Bernie was nowhere near the carriage.

_Damn it, Bernie. Where the hell did you go?_

Alana ran around the carriage looking for him, much to no avail. Juliette let out a little chuckle. She turned her attention to the top of the hill, where she saw Bernie taking down the tent. Rolling her eyes, Juliette began to make her way up the hill, with Alana tailing behind her. She stood at the top of the hill, with one hand on the mysterious artifact, keeping it still. Bernie turned around to see Juliette standing there, which scared him a little bit.

"Ah Juliette! Back from Siwa already?"

"Indeed we are." Juliette replied, as Alana appeared from behind her mother. "We explored the Temple of Amun, which was an absolute pleasure. Speaking of which, what are you up to?"

"I was just taking down the tent, getting ready for the trip back to Cairo. Fed the horses too." Bernie replied, catching wind of the object on Juliette's shoulder. "Speaking of which, what is that object hanging at your side?"

Juliette returned a stern look towards Bernie, and placed her hand back on the object.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

Bernie nodded his head, honoring Juliette's request. He walked past her, tent in hand, and made his way down towards the carriage. Juliette followed him down, with Alana in tow behind her. As Juliette got down to the bottom of the hill, she saw Bernie place the tent in the back chest, beside Juliette's suitcase. Bernie shut the chest, and opened the door for Juliette to enter. Before she could, Alana darted by her and into the carriage. Juliette nodded her head and smiled before entering the carriage herself. Bernie shut the door, and got up to the driver's seat. After getting himself comfortable for the long drive, he snapped on the reins, and turned the carriage around. Before long, the carriage was on the right track, back on the road to Cairo. Juliette clasped her hands together, and leaned forward slightly.

"Did you have fun in Siwa, Alana?"

Alana looked up at her mother, smiling.

"I sure did!" Alana replied. "It was amazing to see the home of Bayek up close. It was also very sad to hear about what happened to his son."

Juliette let out a deep breath.

"It's a very sad story. It made me cry when I was your age too."

Alana began to cry. A look of sorrow came across Juliette's face as Alana leaped into her mother's lap. Juliette hugged her daughter.

"Don't worry, Alana." Juliette began, rubbing Alana's hair gently. "Mother would never let that happen to you."

A smile came across Alana face, as she began to fall asleep on her mother's shoulder as the sun peaked in the sky. Juliette gazed out the window, into the endless desert as the carriage carried them through the Qattara Depression towards Cairo.

* * *

The carriage carrying Master Assassin Juliette Marie Dorian and her daughter Alana Rose slowly came to a halt in front of the Eagle Talon Cafe in the early evening. Bernie came down from the driver's seat, and opened the door, allowing Juliette and Alana to exit. Juliette made her way around to the back of the carriage, and opened it to remove her suitcase. Bernie let out a deep breath, and pulled out the key to open the Cafe. Juliette whistled for Alana to come to her side. Hearing her mother's whistle, she joined Juliette at the door, just in time for Bernie to open the door. He held the door open for Juliette and Alana to pass through. Full of energy from her nap along the way, Alana darted ahead of Juliette and Bernie, and stood at the stairs.

"Thank you again Bernie, for coming on this adventure with my daughter and I." Juliette said, as she pulled out a small pouch of coins and handed it to him. Bernie smiled.

"Thank you, Madame Dorian." Bernie replied. "It was a pleasure to accompany you and your daughter. I wish you a good night!"

Juliette nodded her head as a sign of thanks, before walking towards Alana, who was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase. As Juliette approached, Alana leaped to her feet, and accompanied her mother up the stairs to their room. Juliette pulled the key out of her pocket, and opened the door quietly. Alana walked in before Juliette. While Alana leaped onto the bed, Juliette opened her suitcase, and placed the mysterious Isu artifact onto the desk in the room. She continued to examine the artifact.

_Perhaps this artifact is linked to the Shroud somehow, _Juliette thought, as she turned around to see Alana all nestled up in bed. Juliette peeled off her overshirt, and hung it on the chair by the desk.

"Alana, time to get into your pyjamas, young lady!"

Alana frowned before complying with her mother, coming out of the bed to grab her pyjamas. She rounded the corner of the bed and ducked down to change. While Alana was changing, Juliette slid off her Hidden Blade and placed it on the desk. She sat on the bed, and began to get under the covers. Alana leaped up on the bed, and got herself under the covers, and snuggled up next to her mother. Both of their heads hit the pillow at the same time. Alana's right arm fell across Juliette's waist, just under her breasts.

"Thank you for this trip, mother!"

Juliette smiled.

"Anytime, sweetheart."

Juliette and Alana quietly drifted off to sleep, after returning to Cairo from an adventurous day in Northern Egypt.

* * *

Juliette awoke to the rising sun shining through the window of the hotel room. She stretched as she got out of bed, quietly landing on her feet carefully to not awaken Alana. She grabbed her Blade from the desk, and slid it onto her right wrist. Juliette grabbed her overshirt, and slid it on, messing up her hair. Grabbing a comb from a drawer, she walked up to the mirror, and began to comb her hair. After running it through her hair a few times, she was distracted by a knock coming from the door. Juliette let out a deep breath, and approached the door. She unlocked the lock, and opened the door to see her husband, Samuel Marshall, standing before her.

"Samuel, my love! How are you? How was the mission in India?"

Samuel let out a quiet deep breath.

"I'm fine, Juliette." Samuel replied hushly, dusting herself off. "The mission in India was a success. William Sleeman is no more. How was your little adventure?"

Juliette walked Samuel over to the desk, where she showed him the Isu artifact.

"What is this, Juliette?" Samuel asked, as he ran his hand across the artifact.

"I'm not sure." Juliette replied, observing it with her husband. "I'm bringing it back to Crawley to see if there's anything in our Isu research about what it is. I found it within the Temple of Amun, near the vault entrance."

"Good idea, my love." He replied, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Now, how was your little adventure with Alana?"

Juliette and Samuel turned around to face the sleeping Alana.

"It went well. We visited the old tomb of Bayek, and his final resting place with Aya. We even went to the Siwa Oasis, and took in the sights there. She was awestruck the whole time, especially when we visited the Temple of Amun."

Samuel smiled, and nudged Juliette with his elbow, pointing towards Alana.

_Don't you dare scare her. _

Samuel tapped Alana on the shoulder, and she began to stir. She opened her eyes, and a smile from ear to ear came to her face.

"FATHER!" Alana shouted, as she leaped into her father's arms, hugging him tightly. Samuel returned the hug, and spun around while hugging her.

"Hi Alana! How was your adventure with mother?"

Alana stood beside Juliette.

"It went really good Father!" Alana said, with excitement in her voice. "Mother took me to see the Great Pyramids, both of Bayek's tombs, and we got to see the village of Siwa up close!"

"Don't forget about the Temple of Amun, sweetheart." Juliette added.

"Oh and we got to see the Temple of Amun!" Alana exclaimed. "Did you know that Grandmother Elise stayed in the Great Pyramid during a sandstorm?"

"I did indeed, Alana." Samuel told his daughter. "Time for you to get dressed Alana. Change into your clothes, Father got us a ship to take back to Portsmouth."

"Oh boy!"

Juliette handed Alana her clothes. "Show your father your new outfit!"

Alana grabbed her clothes, and ducked behind the bed to get changed out of her pyjamas while Samuel and Juliette turned around. While she was waiting, Juliette placed the Isu artifact inside of her suitcase. Samuel shot her a look.

"Really? You're putting an ancient Isu artifact in your suitcase?"

"Where else would I put it?" Juliette retorted. "I want no one to see it. That's why I'm doing it."

Samuel shrugged. "Not bad."

"Father! Look!"

Samuel turned around at the sound of Alana's voice. He was surprised to see Alana wearing a black long sleeved shirt and breeches, much like her mother's, the only difference being the grey hood Alana wore.

"A splitting image of your mother you are, Alana!" Samuel smiled as she walked over to her parents. She handed her pyjamas to Juliette, who put them into the suitcase, zipping it up. She grabbed her satchel, and strung it around her right shoulder. Samuel opened the door, allowing Alana and Juliette to pass through with their luggage. The trio made their way into the Cafe, which was unusually quiet for a morning. Juliette made her way over to Bernie, who was wiping down the main desk. He looked up to see Juliette and her family, and smiled.

"Good morning Ms. Dorian! I take it this man is your husband?"

"Indeed I am." Samuel replied, with a bow. "The name is Samuel Marshall. Traveled from India to meet her here."

"Thank you for joining us on our adventure, Bernie." Juliette stated politely. "It was a pleasure to have you travel with us."

"Anytime, Madame Dorian." Bernie replied, with a bow of his head. "I hope our paths cross again soon!"

Juliette and Samuel bowed their heads, and made their way out the door and to the street, immediately greeted by the hot Egyptian sun. Samuel crouched in front of Alana.

"Hop on, kiddo. It's father's turn to give you a piggyback ride!"

Juliette smiled as Alana quickly leaped into Samuel's shoulders. Samuel grabbed onto her legs, making sure she wouldn't fall backwards.

"To the docks, Father!" Alana exclaimed, pointing towards the Nile River in the distance."Our ship awaits!"

Juliette and Samuel shared in a laugh as the trio began to make their way down to the docks of Cairo.

* * *

The trio of Juliette Dorian, Samuel Marshall, and their daughter Alana made their way down into the docks, and stopped to let Alana observe all the ships from different countries. Alana pointed out several flags, which included Greece, Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire. Juliette was proud of her daughter for knowing all of the flags. Her and Samuel kept an eye open for a ship with a Union Jack on it.

"Who's the Captain who sailed you here?" Juliette asked curiously.

"Captain Steven Blair." Samuel replied, stroking his beard.

"Wasn't he a raging drunk?"

"He was." Samuel stated. "He sailed me to India without touching a drop. All he'd do would shout 'why can't we just be sober? I just want to drink forever.'"

Juliette face-palmed. That sounds like something Captain Blair would do.

"Speaking of which, there he is." Juliette pointed to a man with grey hair and a scraggly beard standing beside a small ship sporting a British Union Jack ensign. Juliette and Samuel approached him. Samuel cleared his throat.

"Captain Blair, it is good to see you again!"

Captain Blair turned around to see Juliette and Samuel, with Alana on his shoulders.

"So this is the family you were talking about!"

"...yes Captain. This is my wife, Juliette, and my daughter Alana is sitting on my shoulders."

Captain Blair shook Juliette's hand, and gently shook Alana's hand.

"How much do we have to pay to sail to Portsmouth?" Juliette asked curiously.

Captain Blair let out a boisterous laugh.

"Not a cent, my lady. You are free to board."

Captain Blair extended his arm, allowing Juliette to board first, followed by Samuel and Alana. Alana was fascinated by the dock crew moving the ramp back onto the dock. Juliette heard a deep breath come from behind her, only to see Captain Blair approach the helm of the ship. He pointed to his crew mates, and gestured to them to get the sails full. After a few moments, the ship began to glide through the smooth waters of the Nile. Alana climbed down from her father's shoulders while he was chatting with Captain Blair, and stood at her mother's right side. Juliette looked down at Alana. Alana looked back up smiling.

"Thank you for taking me to Egypt, mother! I learned lots!"

Juliette smiled.

"I'm glad you had fun, Alana." Juliette replied, rustling Alana's brown hair. "There was a reason I brought you to Egypt. I brought you here to Egypt to learn about the founders of the Assassin Brotherhood."

"Who are the Assassins?" Alana asked curiously.

Juliette let out a deep breath. It was time to tell her.

"Men and women like myself and your father." Juliette replied. "I will tell you more when we get back to Crawley, which is when your training as an Assassin will truly begin."

Alana's eyes opened wide with excitement.

"Oh boy! I can't wait to begin my training!" She exclaimed with glee.

Juliette flashed a proud smile for her daughter, before hoisting Alana up onto the railing to watch the morning sun rise over the Nile Delta.


End file.
